NEENAH — One year after it abandoned the step-and-lane pay scale for certified teaching staff, the Neenah Joint School District awarded salary increases or one-time stipends totaling $768,000 to more than 300 teachers.

Officials determined who received salary increases and one-time performance stipends through a new evaluation process based on the Effectiveness Project coordinated by CESA 6, and a revised salary schedule based on the merit pay scale developed by the Hartland-Lakeside School District, according to documents obtained by Post-Crescent Media.

For the 2012-13 school year, 50 teachers received at least $5,000 in salary increases, and three teachers received an additional one-time performance stipend of $5,000, said Jim Strick, communications manager, in an email to Post-Crescent Media.

Approximately 130 teachers received salary increases between $1,500 and $3,500; 132 received a one-time performance stipend of $1,500.

Under the new system, 69 teachers who would not have been eligible for increased pay in the step-and-lane format received salary increases, Strick said. Those people had at least 16 years of experience teaching in Neenah and saw their salaries rise between 2.11 and 7.83 percent.

Officials did not dock pay for poor performance during the first year of the new evaluation process, but did freeze pay for approximately 108 teachers. In 2013-14 salaries could decrease based on performance.

The new pay scale rewards teachers not for longevity in the district or the profession, but for high-performance in the classroom, according to documents.

An advanced degree no longer guarantees moving up the pay scale, either — a big change from the step-and-lane method that compensated teachers for furthering their education. Teachers who earn advanced degrees have to prove the degrees made them more effective in the classroom, the documents said.

As a result, some teachers were put in performance levels that did not match their previous, higher salaries, Strick said. For example, veteran teachers earning higher salaries because of advanced degrees or years of service might have fallen into performance brackets with lower salaries. The same could be true for young, less-experienced teachers who were earning less on the step-and-lane model, but were placed in high-performance levels worthy of higher pay.

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“The first year was tricky because it was trying to fit people at the level they’re at (performance-wise),” Strick said.

As part of the new evaluation process, Neenah’s 431 certified teachers submitted portfolios that included examples of their best work, professional development logs and student surveys. Teachers also could submit comments from their students’ parents or guardians.

Observation forms completed by administrators and communication logs were also included.

Based on evaluations and portfolios, teachers fell into one of six performance levels: Quality I, II, III, IV, V or Exemplary.

Teachers can earn a maximum of $75,000 per year if they reach the “exemplary” level. Teachers in this category must be “recognized leader(s) in the school and the district,” “exhibit continued learning and application of advanced degrees,” and be “distinguished in at least five of six areas of performance,” according to the pay scale guidelines.

The lowest performance level is Quality I, with a minimum salary of $40,500 per year.

Officials expect teachers to progress to the Quality III level, at minimum.